RCMP bust clandestine lab in Drummondville, say seized drugs 25 times more potent than fentanyl

According to the RCMP, a secret lab east of Montreal has been busted that is believed to have been producing large quantities of counterfeit pills. The pills are believed to contain protonitazepyne, a synthetic opioid that is about 25 times more potent than fentanyl.

Mounties arrested four people after searching a home in Drummondville, Que. on Thursday. Three other homes were searched in Sherbrooke and Dixville.

RCMP officers dismantled the laboratory in Drummondville, Quebec, about 100 kilometres northeast of Montreal on Thursday, August 1, 2024. (Source: RCMP)

“The searches also resulted in the seizure of significant quantities of chemicals used in the production of illegal pills, a pill press and sophisticated equipment for large-scale production,” police said in a press release.

The investigation into the lab began in May by the RCMP’s Federal Policing – Eastern Region Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit.

The four arrested individuals were released pending further legal proceedings. The RCMP said they could face charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), including manufacturing and possession of controlled substances for the purpose of trafficking.

The seized pills resembled real oxycodone pills and were marked M/30. Some of the counterfeit pills analyzed revealed they contained protonitazepyne, but further analysis is needed, the Mounties said.

Montreal health officials warned the public about the drug in April. At the time, the public health agency said the drug was beginning to circulate and was responsible for at least one death.

In February, public health authorities in Quebec City issued a similar warning about the drug, saying it posed a high risk of overdose and that multiple doses of the life-saving drug naloxone were needed to counteract its effects.